Bulletin Board Material: August and September 2012 Entries

Posted:
Monday, October 1, 2012 12:50 PM EDT

9-12-12

We're already one-third
of the way through the high school football season, and here in central
Illinois conference races are beginning to take shape, and many
predictions are already falling apart. Take the Okaw Valley Conference
of example. In week two, the favorite, Maroa-Forsyth, fell at home to
Unity in a 7-6 one-play-changed-the-game affair. The next week, Unity
fell at home in a shootout with Central A&M, 47-41. The
Raiders deservedly climbed a spot in the 1A standings this week. On the
other side of the coin, the perennial playoff-bound St. Teresa Bulldogs
are 1-2, with their only win coming in a week three snoozer, a 7-0
victory over Warrensburg. Also, keep an eye on Argenta-Oreana. We
called them a dark horse entering the season, and they've quietly built a
3-0 record, entering a home game against Unity.

In
the Big 12, the Eisenhower Panthers -- who I will admit I wrote off
before the season started -- are 1-2, and while that's not spectacular,
consider they came into last week on a 22-game losing streak.
Eisenhower has scored 44 points through three games. During their 0-9
campaign in 2011, they scored 24 all season. Things are progressing in
Decatur, faster than many anticipated, and just in time for a cross-town
rivalry game with MacArthur here in week 4.

Like
the Okaw, the Central State Eight "game of the year" happened in week
two - a 29-26 win for Sacred-Heard Griffin, over two-time defending 4A
state champ Rochester. Now SHG and Glenwood appear to be in a race for
the finish, and it looks likely that it could be a battle of a couple of
7-0 teams when they play each other in week 8, which could be a whole
lot more interesting if they can climb in the standings -- they don't
have far to go.

Here are the latest rankings of
Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an
Associated Press panel of sportswriters:

It was a nice start to the season for the
Illini, who beat Western Michigan 24-7 Saturday. There were plenty of
reasons to celebrate at the end of this one. Tim Beckman starts
"Operation New Era" with a convincing win, there were sparks from a Nathan
Scheelhaase-led offense, and the defense was even better than
advertised. The bad: First and foremost, they lost Scheelhaase for
most of the second half due to an ankle injury, the severity of which is
yet to be seen. After the game, Beckman said they'd have to evaluate
it this weekend.

Some very timely turnovers
changed the course of this game. Interceptions by Michael Buchanan,
Earnest Thomas III and Ashante Williams each came at
points in the game when Western Michigan appeared to be worked with some
momentum. In the case of Williams' INT, the Broncos had been driving,
down 10, on UI's 40 yard line. Instead, seconds later, the Illini led
by 17, and the game was out of reach. As expected, WMU QB Alex
Carder led the air attack (26-of-49, 239 yards, 1 TD 3 INT), but
that was all the Broncos could muster. They finished the day with -6
rushing yards, so hats off to the D for making WMU one-dimensional - and
controlling that dimension as planned.

Credit is also
due to the Illini offense... in the first half. Scheelhaase commanded
the offense well, and his 64-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Lankford
seemed to announce that the Illini would be in control of this from the
get-go. Scheelhaase went 11-for-18 in the game, with 126 yards, a
touchdown, and interception, adding a rushing score to put Illinois up
17-0 going into the half. After his injury, sophomore Reilly O'Toole
only added seven yards to the team's total, and couldn't lead the
Illini past mid-field for the remainder of the contest. Again, the
seriousness of Scheelhaase's injury is unknown, but we saw drastically
difference offenses in the first and second half. That's not a
coincidence.

Another bright spot: TE Jon Davis leading the
Illinois rushing game, getting in time at H-back. His 54 yards led the
team, and while being a relatively small number, he did it on just six
carries. On his first two, he had runs of 17 and 18 yards, and his
6'3", 240lb. frame clearly gave the defense a tougher time in terms of
bring him down. I expect Beckman to plug Davis in there for about a
half dozen carries every week.

Remembering that WMU lost Carder's
top three targets to graduation last year - and there never really was a
rushing threat - it's still difficult to evaluate what this says about
the Illini moving forward. More than anything else, what's important to
note is that they came out ready to play. It's not uncommon for even
some of the top teams in the country to spend a quarter or two... or
four... with what can best be described as "first-game jitters". The
Illini had none, and that's on the coaching staff, which is a promising
sign. An important rematch with Arizona State awaits...

8-31-12

It's an exciting and busy time in the WAND
newsroom. To go with some of the most complete Friday Frenzy shows
we've ever done, we're kicking off the Illini season with a brand new
program for Saturday mornings. It's called Inside the Illini: Big
Ten College Football. We'll refer to it as "Inside the Illini" for
short. We're actually cutting into Saturday morning cartoons... and I
apologize in advance to the kids - and especially their parents - for
stealing away an hour of your distractions.

By
no means does our new show revolutionize the idea of a pregame show, but
it will give viewers in Central Illinois (and when it gets on the web,
the whole world!) a completely unique, and almost exclusively Fighting
Illini football show. Week-to-week we'll have a full breakdown of the
previous game (or in our first show, the previous season). We'll look
in-depth at both the Leaders and Legends Divisions, preview the upcoming
matchup, and see how Illinois alums are doing in the NFL. And we'll do
it all among some from the Illini fanbase at the Buffalo Wild Wings in
Savoy.

The format is similar to one we used for a
number of years at my former station KTRV in Boise, Idaho. We covered
Boise State football like crazy, and there were a number of things I
think really worked for the show:

1) It's
pre-taped. We'll still provide great coverage within each of our
newscasts, including live reports from Memorial Stadium, but on Inside
the Illini, you'll get a pregame show without the glitches (and at times
even College Gameday can't say that). We spend the week searching the
archives, breaking down the tape, and putting it back together in high
def. In the end, it's a clean product beginning to end, and I think
you'll appreciate that.

2) We have the
experts. I'll admit, I'm new to the Big Ten, and the University of
Illinois, but by no means am I new to college football. Since 2003,
I've covered Washington State, Idaho, and Boise State out west,
including analysis of the Pac10/12, WAC, Mountain West. I've covered
1-11 teams and 14-0 teams, and have about a half dozen bowl games under
my belt. Still, you won't necessarily be relying on me to give you the
expert opinions that will carry the show. Our experts include Steve
Kelly, of Sports talk with Steve Kelly on WDWS radio in
Champaign, and he's been covering the Illini for decades. Brian
Barnhart, the "Voice of the Illini" will also be on the panel, along
with Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette Illini beat writer.
Each week, they'll give their opinions on the big topics in football,
and let you in on what they saw covering practices and press
conferences during the week.

3) It's about
football. Too many times in a local news pregame show, you'll see a
news reporter standing in a parking lot talking about John Doe's
homemade salsa. Hey, I enjoy a good tailgate party as much as the next
person, but as a sports guy I'd much rather get injury news and matchup
breakdowns in the hour before the game. So a warning: It's for football
fans, not people who want to learn how to make a good bean dip.

4) You can win free stuff. Yes, free stuff. First of all,
"Like"
our Inside the Illini page on Facebook. We'll post stories from
our coverage of the Illini throughout the week, and we'll want you to
interact with us as well. Ask questions about the Illini to our panel,
and each week we'll pick one to answer on the air. If we pick yours,
you win a $25 Buffalo Wild Wings Gift Card. We also want you there for
our tapings of the show, which will be each Wednesday at noon during the
season at BWW in Savoy. People who are there will enter a raffle to
win two tickets to the week's game. We'll announce the winner at the
end of the show. We want it to be as interactive as possible.

I know the first show is all put together and ready to go on the
air, and we hope you'll tune in! Saturday, September 1st at 10am, with
the game starting at 11! Stay with us all season, and give us your
feedback on facebook.

8-23-12

Less than 24 hours from the time I write this, a full
night of high school football will be in the books. An exciting, yet
daunting thought for a local sports reporter... Noah Newman and I have a
good plan together to get you highlights from more than a dozen local
games, as well as scores from at least 30 games going on in the area.
We promise it will be one heck of a Friday Frenzy.

We
took a look at the Okaw Valley Conference in our previews on the blog
yesterday, but before we get to tomorrow, I want to make sure we give
you capsules and predictions for the rest of the teams whose practices
we covered. You'll notice, not EVERY team in Central Illinois is
featured -- Unfortunately between Noah and I, it's difficult to get
around to covering the more than 60 teams who deserve our coverage. We
also don't want to evaluate a team we didn't actually get to see in
action.

We do, however, have previews for a
returning state champ (and preseason #1), a team looking for their first
win in more than 1,000 days, and a program that will be playing their
first-ever varsity game Friday. Enjoy, and we'll see you on WAND Friday
night!

BIG TWELVE

Eisenhower
Panthers (0-8, 0-9)The Panthers may be a better team in 2012,
but they proved last year, there's a long way to go until that
translates into wins. They surely don't need the reminder, but
Eisenhower has been consistently, shockingly bad for more than a
half-decade now. Since 2005, they are 3-60 (a .048 winning percentage),
and they haven't won a game since Oct. 9, 2009 (a 20-8 win over
Urbana). Last season, the team -- mostly filled with freshman -- was
shut out five times, and in their four other games, they never scored
more than 6. Understandably, that type of recent history doesn't
exactly inspire a team, but at the practice I attended, players didn't
seem particularly motivated to escape the Big Twelve cellar. After so
many years of futility, unfortunately, a "culture" of losing can be
created, and I think it's going to be hard for 2nd year coach Mike
Goodwin to pull away from that. I expect a repeat performance for the
Panthers in 2012. PREDICTION: 0-9-Loveless

MacArthur
Generals (5-4, 5-5)Considering how young they were, last year
was a huge success for the MacArthur football program. The Generals
needed a win in week nine at Urbana to get in the playoffs, and they
took care of business in convincing fashion. The 'big game' experience
should pay off this fall. The Generals have a stud in senior running
back Brian Jennings. He's one of the best at his position in central
Illinois, and has a bright future at the next level. Quarterback Devin
Ingram is also a big time threat in the running game. He's shown the
ability to single handedly take over a game with his legs. The defense
lost one of their best players in LB Derek Schultz, who transferred out
of the area. He'll be hard to replace, but overall the Generals have the
talent to put together another winning season. PREDICTION: 5-5,
loss in 1st round-Newman

CENTRAL STATE EIGHT

Rochester
(12-2, State Champs)Wes Lunt, Zach Grant and company lead the
Rockets to their 2nd straight state title last year. Grant lead the
nation in receiving, and Lunt is now the starting quarterback for
Oklahoma State. Head Coach Derek Leonard knows he can't replace those
guys. But this Rockets team will still be one of the best in 4A. Austin
Green takes over for Lunt under center. Green's a great athlete. He put
up huge numbers at QB when filling in for an injured Lunt early last
season. So we know he'll be just fine. We also know Wisconsin commit
Garret Dooley was put on this earth to play football, and he's
determined to lead this team to a 3-peat. With seven starters back on
Defense, this Rockets team will hold the opposition to fewer points, and
their offense will score enough to make another deep run. PREDICTION:
8-1, state runner-up -Newman

SANGAMO

Sangamon
Valley Storm (4-3, 4-5)The Storm were a field goal away from
the 2011 playoffs, a goal that eluded them for the 4th straight season.
Though, a three game losing streak to end the year (during which they
gave up 52.0 points per game) didn't help either. If they're going to
return to the playoffs this year, they'll have to do it with a much
younger cast of characters. Head Coach Michael Lee said there's
inexperience in just about every unit, with the exception of
linebacker. They'll be leaning on LBs Andrew Urbanowicz and Hunter
Talbert to be both the vocal and physical leaders on that side of the
ball. Also, senior quarterback Casey Lyon will get his first season as a
starter, which could be defined by how his young offensive line
performs. Lee said both lines are sophomore-heavy, which means the
Storm may have to wait to end that playoff drought. PREDICTION: 4-5-Loveless

APOLLO

Mt. Zion Braves (6-1, 9-3)Year
one of the Scott Davis era was a big success- The Braves went 9-3, and
made it to the quarterfinals. The team doesn't return many starters from
last year, but Davis is optimistic they can still make a deep playoff
run. It's hard to see this team doing any worse than 6-3. Only three of
their opponents had winning records last year (Effingham, Charleston,
Mahomet-Seymour). Look for Austin Ray to have a big season at the
running back position, as Davis gets to the postseason for the 11th
straight year. PREDICTION: 8-3, loss in 2nd round-Newman

LITTLE OKAW VALLEY

Cerro Gordo-Bement (6-1, 6-4)The
Broncos had a breakthrough in year two of the Andy Kerley era, and the
defending conference champs have a good shot at a repeat in 2012. They
have a major weapon in running back Dee Woods. Look for him to
absolutely punish Little Okaw opponents this year. It's the first year
of a co-op with Bement, which boosts the roster by nearly 20 players.
It's helped out big time in practice- they now can field a scout team.
The Broncos have lost their first three games each of the last two
years. If they can avoid an 0-3 hole, they'll find themselves hosting a
playoff game in week ten. PREDICTION: 10-2, loss in quarterfinals
-Newman

PRAIRIE STATE

Decatur (Lutheran School
Association) Lions (N/A)It's a new season for everyone, but that
has a different meaning at LSA, The Lions are entering their first
year of varsity football (hence the "N/A" in their previous years'
record). Records aren't necessarily available for this, but I'm told
their JV team went 6-2 in 2011, for what it's worth. If anything, that
at least proves they have experience winning against teams their own
age. That's why I wouldn't bet the Lions will go winless this year.
Their biggest problem will be with depth, especially as the season rolls
on. They have just 21 players on their roster, and one of them --
their kicker -- is a freshman from the soccer team. Coach John McIntosh
is confident with his offense, with Senior QB Skyler Taylor leading the
group, and runningback Gage Moore in his backfield. Considering
Prairie State cellar-dwellers like Bunker Hill and Mt. Olive -- which
both had serious problems scoring -- the Lions could notch a couple of
wins in year 1. PREDICTION: 2-7 -Loveless

8-22-12

It's time for another football season! A
year full of haves, have-nots, will-not-bes, and hopefully a few
pleasant surprises. Yes, it's my first year of Illinois high school
football, and I'm thrilled to finally get the season going. Between
Noah Newman and myself we're trying to pay a visit to each of the teams
in our viewing area, and are ready to put on our analyst hats.

I
will admit, despite seeing (live or on tape) more than a hundred high
school games each year, none of them involved teams from here in
Illinois, so feel free to take my analysis with a grain of salt. I've
done my research on recent history, and we've talked with coaches and
players, asking them to evaluate themselves, so we have a pretty good
foundation for a 2012 season preview. Also, there are always a few key
pieces of information that I know will generally shape a football
season, especially a high school football season:

-How did they
do last year?-Who's coming back?-What's the talent/leadership
like at quarterback?-Size, size, size

Now, since it is an
election year, and we newsy folks don't want to give off the impression
that we're biased, each team gets one paragraph, followed by a
prediction. Noah and I have gone down each schedule for each team.
Now, we may not necessarily agree on head-to-head matchups, which is why
in our first post, a disproportionate amount of teams are picked to
make the playoffs, and for accountability's sake, we make sure to
identify the prognosticator after the prediction.

Our first set
of predictions comes out of an intriguing Okaw Valley Conference, which
remains familiarly top-heavy. There is, however, some interesting
activity in the middle of those standings, and both Noah and I think
there will be some teams losing the grip on their playoffs spots, as
well as some that are ready to end postseason droughts:

Argenta-Oreana
Bombers (2-3, 4-5)The term "dark-horse" comes to mind when
watching the Bombers. A-O was on the outside looking in during the 2011
playoffs, but they weren't far off. They'll return QB Gage Eller, and a
big chunk of an offense that showed flashes last year -- in three of
their wins, the Bombers scored 46, 49, and 52 points. Coach Chad
Eisenmenger has said their biggest issue at camp was finishing, and
claimed the team has had trouble focusing through an entire practice.
Their first three games are by no means easy, but they are manageable (@
Shelbyville, at home vs. St. Teresa, and @ Sullivan). A 3-0 start
could be just what the Bombers need to hone that focus, and build
confidence, for a solid regular season run. The rest of their schedule
won't do them any favors, which is why I won't necessarily put them in
the playoffs just yet, but this team could have a surprise in them. If
they get just one, I think they'll be in the postseason. As it is... PREDICTION:
4-5-Loveless

Central A&M Raiders (3-2, 6-5)A
2011 playoff team, the Raiders seem poised for improvement in Mark
Ramsey's 30th season as head coach at Central A&M. Curt Ramsey,
Mark's son, returns to quarterback the team, and by what I've seen,
he'll get plenty of time in the pocket. The most jaw-dropping sight at
their practice: The offensive line. Curt Ramsey claims the five
starting linemen total 1,400 lbs. I didn't have a scale handy, but I'm
inclined to believe him. I expect an improved offense, and if the
defense improves even slightly, the Raiders could be in store for not
only a return trip, but a higher seed in the playoffs. PREDICTION:
6-4, loss in 1st round-Loveless

Clinton Maroons
(1-4, 2-7)The Maroons seem to have become accustomed to the
lower half of the standings. In 2011, John Hayden's squad finished 2-7
for the third consecutive year. This season, they're returning more
than a dozen players with varsity experience, and have found themselves
in a previously-unexpected QB competition. Hayden said he hasn't yet
named a starter in a battle between senior Greg Osgood and sophomore
transfer Zach Pate, who last season was at Sacred Heart-Griffin. Their
biggest problem: the offensive line - undersized, and lacking depth.
That will be an issue for a team that hopes to rely on the run game. PREDICTION:
3-6 -Loveless

Maroa-Forsyth Trojans (5-0, 12-1)Josh
Jostes enters his 13th season as the team's head coach. He's built the
program into a perennial powerhouse, but he didn't do it overnight. The
Trojans were just 1-8 in 2000, and they suffered four losing seasons
before finally making the playoffs in 2004. They haven't missed the
playoffs since- look for that trend to continue this year. The Trojans
have reloaded quite well. Sophomore Jack Hockaday takes over under
center. It's hard to replace Logan Stelzreide, but Hockaday is a
phenomenal athlete and should put up big numbers on that brand-new turf.
This team will be really really really good again, but it's hard to see
them matching what they did last year, especially on defense (they
replace the entire defensive line). PREDICTION: 11-1, loss in
quarterfinals-Newman

Meridian Hawks (0-5, 0-9)The
Hawks dealt with all sorts of issues -- from depth, to maturity -- in
2011. Some of that may linger, at least early in the season, but
second year head coach Matt Bryant is confident his returning cast will
at the very least improve the 2012 version. The monkey on their back is
that zero in the win column, which actually dates back to 2009 (they
were 0-9 in 2010 as well). Bryant said his team has talked openly about
that dubious distinction, and he's hoping they use it as motivation.
Hopefully, they won't be discouraged after week 1... the Hawks travel to
Tolono to take on Unity (11-1 in 2011). PREDICTION: 2-7-Loveless

Monticello Sages (4-1, 7-4)It's Cully Welter's fourth
season as Monticello's Head Coach, and he's turned the Sages into a
perennial playoff contender. This year he's hoping they take the next
step, and become one of the top dogs in the Okaw Valley. With 36
upperclassman on the team, including a stud running back in Ryan
Donahue, there's a good chance the Sages contend for the Okaw Black
title. They've got Tolono Unity at home in week 7...if they can win that
game, I see them going undefeated in the division. PREDICTION: 7-2,
loss in quarterfinals -Newman

St. Teresa Bulldogs
(3-2, 7-3)A program like St. Teresa doesn't really do the whole
"down year" thing, but this just may be one. They're coming off a
respectable season, and a playoff berth in the tough Okaw Valley
Conference. Some may notice though, that their 7-3 record was,
remarkably, their worst since the 2001 season (4-5). At first glance,
it looks like that downward trend will continue. St. Teresa is
noticeably undersized, a side effect of graduating 19 seniors last
year. Only two starters return, and that means the Bulldogs could
struggle to hang on to that last playoff spot out of the Okaw's Black
Division. PREDICTION: 4-5-Loveless

Shelbyville
(0-5, 2-7)Year one of the Stan Wienke era didn't go smoothly, as
the Rams went 0-5 in the Okaw Black Division, finishing 2-7 overall for
the fourth year in a row. Despite the poor record, Shelbyville was
actually one of the best offensive teams in the conference, scoring 26
points per game, but their defense was perhaps the worst, allowing over
43 points per contest. Another problem last year -- injuries. The Rams
struggled to stay healthy, with 13 guys on the injured list at one
point. The injury bug is back- one of their starting linebackers was
injured in practice this week, and could miss most of the season. The
QB-WR duo of Tucker Schwengel and Nate Standerfer is capable of a
special season. It's probably the best passing attack in the conference.
Bottom line- if the defense keeps them in games, the Rams could be
headed to the playoffs for the first time in seven years. PREDICTION:
5-5, loss in 1st round -Newman

Sullivan-Okaw
Valley (2-3, 3-6)This could be the best team that no one saw
coming in 2012. The Redskins haven't been to the playoffs since 2001,
but their motto "It begins with us" could be more than just another
slogan. Last season, the Rockets had a 2-3 record in their division.
Considering the fact that you could count on one hand how many on their
roster had varsity experience prior to the season, that was pretty
impressive. Most of the team returns from last year, including senior
Caden May. May was a quarterback for the first six games last year, and
despite starting just three games at runningback, he earned honors as
an all-Okaw honorable mention RB, gaining more than 700 yards on the
ground. It will be exciting to see what he'll do with a full season of
RB reps for the first time. Noticing that St. Teresa has major
questions in every position group, the Redskins see a golden opportunity
snatch up that last playoff spot, and I think that playoff drought will
come to an end. PREDICTION: 5-5, loss in 1st round-Loveless

Tolono-Unity (5-0, 11-1)The Rockets are ready to begin
their quest for their 19th straight playoff appearance, a streak that
isn't in jeopardy one bit this season. Unity lost more than half of
their starters on each their offensive and defensive sides, and coach
Scott Hamilton said the biggest deficiencies are on the offensive line
and secondary, though I don't think that's cause for concern. Based on
what I saw in practice, they've got plenty of size to fill the line, and
it looks like good speed and ability in the defensive backfield.
However, I think the losses could be enough that a talented team like
Monticello could give them trouble in week 7. Unity opens the season at
home against Meridian, but everyone, including most of us in the media,
are already looking at week 2: Unity @ Maroa-Forsyth. Don't believe
the "one-game-at-a-time" rhetoric... The Rockets are already scheming
for the Trojans. During practice this week, they were running plays for
their defense specifically based on plays M-F ran at their scrimmage on
Aug. 17. They know, as well as we do, that the Okaw Valley
championship could be decided before we even hit September. PREDICTION:
9-2 loss in 2nd round-Loveless

Tuscola (4-1,
11-3)Tuscola has made the state title game four of the past five
years. Over the past two decades they've been one of the best small
school programs in the entire state. They haven't missed the playoffs
since 1993. Much like Maroa, they don't rebuild, they reload. And
they'll have to reload again this year, because they had a special group
of seniors graduate. Players and coaches think they'll be right back at
the top of 1A....and considering what they've accomplished over the
past few years, I'll take their word for it. PREDICTION: 9-3, loss in
quarterfinals -Newman

Warrensburg-Latham Cardinals
(1-4, 1-8)When fumbling the football, missing tackles, and dumb
penalties are the things you're still working to fix in week two of
camp, you know you're starting from the ground up. That's where second
year head coach Tanner Lawson's team is entering the season. Their only
win last year was against the a winless Meridian team. A good chunk of
the 2011 squad were freshman and sophomores, and while that doesn't
necessarily mean success this year, it could be a reason for the
Cardinals to think a year or two ahead. The Cardinals may be a
marginally better team than they were in 2011, but like many of the
teams at the bottom of the Okaw Valley standings, their schedule isn't
doing them any favors, and I think the other teams in the conference are
getting better a little quicker than the Cardinals. PREDICTION: 0-9-Loveless

8-20-12

We got the
chance to see the Illini football team for the first time in eight days
today. Practices have been closed since the last day of Camp Rantoul,
and since we last talked with coach Tim Beckman, the focus has
shifted squarely toward Western Michigan.

The head coach said he
thought the team came out a bit sluggish following their only day off
during the entire camp schedule, but he said the team finished practice
strong, and will need to keep it up with their opener 12 days away.

"We
practice a lot like they do in the pros, where your 2s will run the
'looks,'" said Beckman, who told media Monday they'd been gameplanning
for the Broncos for a couple of practices now. "That's what we're going
to ask our 2s to do - to give great pictures of Western Michigan,
because they're a very good football team."

Here are a few notes
from today's practice:

- Graham Pocic -- the standout
center, who's been at guard during camp -- was in at right tackle
today. Beckman didn't say this was where he wants Pocic during the
season, but seems to want to assurance that it's an option if needed.
QB Nathan Scheelhaase was asked if the "musical chairs" on the
O-line would affect him: "From a quarterback's standpoint, you just want
to make sure you pick up what the defense is bringing, picking up the
extra guys that they may be blitzing, so that's really what I've got to
focus on. I have confidence in the guys in front of me that they'll be
able to stop the guys in front of them."

- Speaking of
position-switches, tight end Jon Davis, as expected, is getting
serious practice time in other offensive positions. Today, it was at
runningback, where there are some depth issues. RB Donovonn Young,
who had a standout year as a freshman in 2011, admits the backfield is
lacking experience, but says it's not lacking talent. Davis is a
willing, and able, body to add a bit of depth when needed. "I'm just
trying to do whatever the coaches ask me to do. if they ask me to be in
the backfield, that's what I'm going to do."

Beckman added,
"He's a young man who can flex out, he can play the true tight end
position and play in the backfield. He can play multiple positions and
that's what we'll utilize him for."

- The Illini appear to be
moving toward a receiver-by-committee offense in 2012. While no one
seems to want to name the next big "playmaker", Scheelhaase did offer up
a handful in his receiving corps that he'll be comfortable targeting in
a number of situations: "I think those guys on the outside, Ryan
Lankford, Darius Millines, Spencer Harris -- they all stepped up and
made play in this last scrimmage we had, and really in the last few
weeks, they're really getting things rolling."

Lankford is
another guy in a position group that lacks significant experience, and
he talked about mixing in guys like Davis, and Terry Hawthorne to
deal with their depth issues: "Our coaches do a great job of knowing
what guys have which strong points. Bigger guys, they'll put them in a
position where they can use their size. Faster guys, put them in a
position where they can use their speed."

- Apparently, Beckman
isn't only trying to keep players on their toes during practices, but
he'll keep a few secrets from his coordinators as well. "I'll put the
ball down, and not tell them the situation in the meeting, and then
they've got to call the plays," said Beckman. " I think it's important,
and it's something coaches did for me when I was coordinating, is put me
in situations as a coordinator that I had to make a call, and that's
what we do a lot out here during practice."

- One piece of injury
news: Sophomore LB Henry Dickinson is out for the season.
Beckman said he broke his leg and ankle in normal practice drills on
Tuesday. Dickinson saw limited time last season, and mostly on special
teams, but Beckman said he'd been really impressed by Dickinson's
progress during camp. He was doing a great job, he really was. It's
unfortunate, there's no question about it," said Beckman. Dickinson
will use a medical redshirt this season, and will be expected to return
next season.

It's already been an exciting set of Olympic Games
for central Illinois. On just the second day of competition, Chatham
native Kelci Bryant, and her teammate Abby Johnston won
the United States' first diving medal since 2000, and the first ever
in a synchronized event. It was one of the events we bookmarked long
before the games started, and it created quite a buzz in Bryant's
hometown.

I went to her family home, where the
only person not in London was her older brother Steven, who said he had
to stay back to work on his master's degree. He was, however, able to
watch the event live online.

"I cried when she
first won it. It was like 'Holy cow, my sister just won a silver
medal," he said. "It was pretty emotional, just knowing how hard she's
worked - since she was 8 years old - for this."

I
had expected to see business signs lighting up with "Congrats Kelci!"
or "Home of Olympic Silver-Medalist Kelci Bryant", but the celebration
in town was pretty quiet. I'm told, however, it was the main topic on
conversation in Chatham for many in the 24 hour following.

"I was like 'Oh my goodness! That's like 10 minutes away
from my house.' It was really cool," said Ashley Angel, who lives in
Auburn.

"We just always had that goal of
getting a medal," said Steven Bryant, "and now that we've got it, and
see that it means so much to other people, it really kind of sinks in as
to how great it really was."

I was struck by
the number of times he said "we" during our conversation, proving that
the medal was the culmination of a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice by
the entire family. In a small way, members of the community tend to
feel that way, too.

Bryant is one of a number
of, not only Americans, but Illinois natives looking to earn a medal
over the next two weeks. Monday, Northwestern alum Matt Grevers
won a gold in the 100m backstroke, and Friday, a slew of Illini grads -
mixed in with a Millikin alum - will go for medals in track and field.

We've already had emails and calls asking,
not always politely, why we haven't covered some local athletes. It
takes a little restraint to hold back the sarcasm while reminding
viewers that the Olympics last 16 days... thus there are events yet to
take place.

For those of you who happened across
the blog, here's the remaining schedule for the Olympians that have
ties to central Illinois (all times central - but of course, tape-delay
will have it airing later on NBC):

There was plenty that came out of Big
Ten Media Days on Thursday and Friday, and between here, Facebook, Twitter,
and the 6pm and 10pm news, we'll try to get you as many angles as we
can. That will include interviews with the Illini as they get for the
start of camp on August 6th. There was one topic, however, that was
unavoidable.

No matter what colors they were
wearing, everyone had to answer questions about Penn State.
Despite rumors that only head coach Bill O'Brien would be there
representing the Nittany Lions, three players showed up, they said as a
sign of solidarity.

"Obviously today, with
these guys coming up, it shows everybody that we're sticking together
and we're moving forward," O'Brien said Thursday.

The
most common question had to do with recruiting. After the NCAA said
Penn St. players were free to transfer, for some, that meant open
season. The most talked about thus far has been the Illini, visiting
Happy Valley, and talking with players within a couple days of
Monday's news.

Despite reports that claim Illini
coaches were "on campus," UI Head Coach Tim Beckman said they
met at a couple of restaurants, and said they extended invitations to
meet with Penn State players.

"Prior to us going
there, the Penn State athletic department knew who we were in contact
with through compliance, and through the athletic directors," Beckman
said. "We did everything the NCAA asked us to do."

It
was interesting as coaches rotated the Media Day stages, each getting
asked the same question, and each with a varying opinion from each end
of the spectrum, and everywhere in between. Beckman said the decision
to pursue players was made for the betterment of the Illini program.

"We're down to 80 scholarships right now," he s, aid.
"We only have 80 scholarship football players. We have a dire need for
these football players sitting next to me for some depth. It was one of
the things that I felt that I owed to the team, and I owed to making us
a better football team."

Like I said, however,
not everyone shared Beckman's sentiment.

Michigan
head coach Brady Hoke, when asked how much they've pursued Penn
State players: "None. It's not our personality"

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, whose own recruiting tactics came under fire this
winter, said there are no written rules when it comes to recruiting: "I
think at the end of the day it's not coaches, it's players. A player
has the right to go where he wants to go."

Meyer
added, "I've been asked: 'Would you go actively recruit a player on
another team? Like I see a Penn State player, and say 'Hey I'm Urban
Meyer, would you come play for me?' I wouldn't do that."

O'Brien stuck to his statement about staying focused on moving
forward. "I don't really have anything more to say on that, other than
those guys are playing by the rules," he said.

It
looks as if at least one player is ready to leave Penn State. Freshman
OT Ryan Nowicki is reported to be interested in heading to the University of Washington,
but according to a number of reports, he was one of the players who met
with Illini coaches this week.

7-23-12

When I clocked in today (okay, I don't actually
"clock in") the big MLB trade deadline story here, as it was across the
country, was Ryan Dempster's impending trade. The Cubs have the top
pitcher (stat-wise) in the game, and despite some recent flashes, are
selling this year... again. A quick update, it appears as if the Braves are close to a deal for the ace. As late as
Monday evening, mlb.com was reporting that the deal was ready, just
waiting for Dempster's approval, despite Dempster taking to Twitter,
saying there is no deal with the Braves. We'll see.
Among other things, that's what I came into work ready to monitor in the
sports world. Well, that, and a little story involving Penn State...

I can sympathize with Cubs fans, who understand,
and simultaneously loathe this time of year. Dempster has a 1.86 ERA -
and has been far and away the best pitcher in the NL, and right now he
wears a Cub uniform. And Cubs fans know, they don't get to keep him.
Whether it's the Braves today or another team tomorrow, he won't be a
Cub on August 1st.

I've made this clear before:
I'm a Seattle Mariners fan. I've vented about the frustrations of being
a fan of a team that's never been to a World Series, or been able to
keep their superstars. Even in central Illinois, I listen to just about
every radio broadcast in the background of my work day. Today, though,
I wasn't thinking about the Mariners.

Then, I
got a text message from my brother, back in Seattle. All it said was:
"Ichiro?"

All I thought was, "Uh oh."

Ichiro arrived in Seattle in 2001. I was in high school. That
year, the team won a major league-record tying 116 games. Ichiro hit
.350, won the batting title, won the Rookie of the Year award won, a
Gold Glove, and the MVP award.

He made a
great first impression, maybe the best the MLB has ever seen. Along the
way he won nine more Gold Gloves, another batting title, broke the AL
hits record, and became a fixture in Seattle. So, it was safe to say,
we forgave him when his skills started to erode.

He's
in the midst of the worst season of his career, just a year after his
previous worst season. In 2011, Ichiro failed to hit .300, or reach 200
hits, for the first time in his MLB tenure, ending a streak that had
never been accomplished before. Most of fans knew it was time for him
to go, and I think many of us hoped he would retire as a Mariner.

On July 23, Ichiro was traded to the New York Yankees. Why, oh
why, did it have to be the Yankees?

As I type
this, I'm watching minute-by-minute coverage of the "event", including
the first time he ran out of the dugout in a Yankee uniform. They just
flashed a graphic that said "Minutes Away: Ichiro's Yankee Debut." It's
a bit surreal, magnified by the fact that he's making his Yankee debut
in, of all places, Seattle... against the Mariners. Not because I'm not
used to seeing this kind of thing happen all the time, but because it
just happened to a player from my team. Ichiro was an absolute star for
10 years, and is as sure a hall of famer as there will be in the next
decade. During those years, I was between the ages of 15 and 25, young
enough to still have some sports idols, and old enough to be able to put
their accomplishments in proper perspective. Even though Ichiro became
a replaceable part of the Seattle lineup, he was an irreplaceable part
of my growth as a sports fan. That's why today is sad, even though it
was necessary. Both for him and for the Mariners.

More
than anything now, I just want him to get a World Series ring. If that
means rooting for the evil empire in the playoffs to see that happen,
so be it. Go... Ya... uh... Go Yan... ah I can't even bring myself the
say it. Go... Ichiro!

What I, and a slew of
Cubs fans, can do is hope this trade deadline will be beneficial
long-term. For me, I just hope someone can give me for the next 10
years, what Ichiro gave me for the last 10.

7-18-2012

It's been a while since I last updated the blog, and that'll happen
when you're in the final stages of planning a wedding. Yes, I'm a
married man now! It was a beautiful wedding for which I give all
planning credit to my wife. It was also nice to disconnect from the
world while I spent a week in Hawaii with my beautiful new bride.

I'm
back now though, and of course in many ways it already feels like I
never left (I have to keep looking at pictures to remind myself this
time last week I was pigging out at a luau in Maui...). Luckily, I was
gone during a slow time in sports - the NBA season is over, NFL and
college camps haven't started yet, and thanks to the All-Star break,
three of the days I was gone were free of major league baseball. One of
the central Illinois stories I left behind, though, is right back in
the forefront: High school conference realignment (to me, the thought of
realignment at that level is silly... I'll get to that later).

The
brief history: The Okaw Valley Conference has 12 teams. Seven of them
recently expressed interest in leaving. Five of them want the
conference to stay together. The group of seven claims it's travel -
and school size - that are fueling their decision, and they declined a
handful of proposals that would adjust division lines based on both
geography and enrollment. The group of five have said it seems the
others have already made up their minds.

Wednesday, the athletic
director for Argenta-Oreana High School (one of the "defectors") threw
in a new proposal: A 16-team, two-division conference, split north and
south, and (for the most part) putting the teams that want the
conference to stick together in their own division. For those who
clicked on this blog to see what the division would look like, here it
is:

You might notice, that's not very balanced. Prior to this proposal,
though, Clinton, Maroa-Forsyth, Monticello, Unity, and St. Teresa (the
five that want to stay) had said they identified a few schools to invite
in case of a break-up. If they did indeed talk with these schools,
they could fill the rest of the north division. It's a good proposal,
if the conference needed one. My opinion, though, is that they don't.

Let's look at stated reasons for the move, first at geography.

-Argenta-Oreana
has expressed interest in starting a new conference with Shelbyville
(45 miles away), leaving behind Monticello (15 miles away)-Warrensburg-Latham
wants to leave along with Sullivan (40 miles away), but doesn't want to
travel to Maroa (13 miles away).

Hmmmm. It must not REALLY be
about geography. How about school size? Is it tilting the conference
standings during the football season?

-The two smallest schools
(Maroa-Forsyth, and Tuscola) were a combined 23-4 during the 2011
football season.-The biggest school (Clinton, enrollment of 504)
finished the football season 2-7.

So, school size isn't really
creating an unfair advantage either.

The only numbers that would
support the move are strictly about football, and only about recent
football success:

-2011 winning percentage for the 5 schools that
want to stay: .709-2011 winning percentage for the 7 schools that
want to leave: .386

It's clear, and despite the PR-speak by
those who claim otherwise, it's not really a secret. The schools that
want to leave are tired of looking bad on the football field, but is
this really going to help them? Is this really going to help their
student-athletes learn the lessons both winning and losing provide?

A
note to these schools who are sick of losing: Since the existence of
any and every league, any and every race - or any kind of competition at
all - just as someone has won, someone has also finished last. Every
single time. Each year, some kid has misspelled the first word at the
Scripps National Spelling Bee. It happens, and we really need to stop
teaching our kids the new-age lesson of "when the going gets tough, stop
trying... or do something easier."

The Okaw Valley Conference is
not the NFL. The quarterback from the 10-0 team is no more likely to
succeed in life than the quarterback from the 0-10 team. 30 years from
now, few will remember what their high school football team did in 2012,
but I fear these bad lessons that come with this particular high school
conference realignment may very well shape opinions, attitudes, and
work ethic of these people. You teach a 16-year-old it's okay to take
the easy way out, and that's a lesson they carry with them for the rest
of their life. Teach them that it's okay to lose as long as you gave it
your best, and that's also a lifelong lesson.

No one wants to be
part of a losing team (let's be honest, no sports guy has as much fun
covering a losing team, either) but statistically, half of the world's
athletes lose more than they win. If the Okaw Valley Conference breaks
up, will Meridian High (0-9 in 2011) suddenly win a state title?
Probably not, and in fact it's far more likely that they finish 0-9 in
the OVC 2.0. Then at what point will they want to bolt with the bottom
half of that conference for the OVC 2.0.1?

An incredibly
high percentage of high school athletes will not go pro, nor will they
play the sport in college. High school is a place to learn, in the
classroom, as well as the court, field, or track. It's a place to teach
them science, math, and history, to teach them how to work with others,
and to teach them how to be better people. I think it's time for their
parents, coaches, and athletic directors to let them learn how to lose.
Right now, they're doing it the wrong way.